Hi sah35:

Perhaps everyone could order a couple of items from the menu that you could eat. It would be the nice thing to do.

BTW, I would not spend Valentine's dinner with my girlfriend's family! Valentine's dinner is for romance! Amor!

I'm eating out for my birthday this Friday. It'll probably be at a great little Italian place in my neighborhood. I know that there are low carb things that I can order and enjoy. Sure, I'll miss the bread/pasta/etc. And there will be many other occasions when I will eat out. I plan to adjust what I order and eat as necessary so that I can drop the excess weight and live healthy. I know my body will be much happier!

Well, good luck with the dinner. Who knows, maybe it will turn out to be a nice experience after all.

-Mike